Craps

It’s the noisiest game in the house and only spectator game in the casino that’s worthy of the name. Next to Blackjack it’s got some of the best player odds in the house and only Roulette has more betting options for the player. It’s the one and only Craps.

And while it’s true that a smart player can step in with $100 and with a little luck walk away minutes later with $10,000, it’s also true that there are more sucker bets than you can shake a stick at. Few games show you the line between a smart bet and a bad one, inked right on the felt for all to see. Strategy, opponents, long odds and smart bets. Craps has it all.

Unfortunately Craps can be pretty intimidating for the newcomer. There are such a large number of betting options, special rules and exceptions that you’ll feel as if you’ll never get a handle on it. Personally, I avoided the Craps table for the longest time simply because it was so noisy and confusing. But hang in there because the smarter you play the easier it is. The trick is to take it one step at a time.

Basics

When you are rolling the dice you are the “shooter”. Your first toss in a round of Craps is called the Come Out roll. If you roll a 7 or 11, you win and the round is over before it started. If you roll a 2, 3, or 12 that’s a Craps and you lose: again, it’s over before it started. Any other number becomes the Point. The purpose of the Come Out roll is to set the Point, which can be any of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. The Dealer places a puck marked “On” above the Point number printed on the table.

Objective

The basic objective in Craps is for the shooter to win by tossing the Point again before he tosses a 7. That 7 is called Out 7 to differentiate it from the 7 on the Come Out roll. If the Point is tossed, the shooter and his fellow bettors win and the round is over. If the shooter tosses Out 7, they lose and the round is over. If the toss is neither the Point nor Out 7, the round continues and the dice keep rolling.

Betting and payoff

Here’s where life at the Craps table can get complicated. There are an overwhelming number of betting options and it’ll make you dizzy trying to figure them all out at once. Like I promised though, it’s easy to play smart. Let’s talk about those smart bets first.

Pass bets

The typical — and simplest — bet is called a Pass bet. It is placed on the Pass Line before the Come Out roll. Assuming that the round goes past the Come Out roll, you’re betting on the chance that you’ll roll the Point again before you roll an Out 7. Pass bets win at even odds, 1:1. Since any Pass bets are typically betting with the shooter, Pass bettors are said to be betting “right”, they’re supporting the shooter in his attempt to win.

To Win: win on the Come Out roll if the dice show 7 or 11. Win on any subsequent roll if you roll the Point.

To Lose: lose on the Come Out roll if the dice are Craps (2, 3, or 12). Lose on any subsequent roll if it’s an Out 7.

Don’t Pass bets

A bet placed on the Don’t Pass line is basically the opposite of a Pass bet. Assuming that the round goes past the Come Out roll, you’re betting that the shooter will roll Out 7 before making the Point. In other words, you’re betting against the shooter, which is why it’s called a “wrong” bet. Rest assured though, there is nothing wrong with the odds on a Don’t Pass bet.

To Win: win on the Come Out roll if the dice show Craps (2, 3 or 12). Win on any subsequent roll if it’s an Out 7.

To Lose: lose on the Come Out roll of 7 or 11. Lose on any subsequent roll if it’s the Point.

Come/Don’t Come bets

Come and Don’t Come bets are basically the same as Pass and Don’t Pass except they are placed while a round is in progress. They are designed for players who join the game late. The same rules apply: win if the next roll is 7 or 11, lose if it’s Craps. Otherwise the roll becomes the Come Point.

Odds bets

An Odds bet is a backup bet on a Pass/Don’t Pass/Come/Don’t Come bet already on the table. They’re usually limited to two or three times (2x or 3x) the original bet and pay off at true odds: the payoff truly reflects the probability of the dice’s roll and there’s no additional house edge involved. Unlike original Pass/Don’t Pass/Come/Don’t Come bets, unresolved Odds bets can be removed from the table during play.

Pass Odds and Come Odds pay 2:1 on a roll of 4 or 10, 3:2 on 5’s and 9’s, and 6:5 on 6’s and 8’s.

Don’t Pass Odds and Don’t Come Odds pay 1:2 on a roll of 4 or 10, 2:3 on 5’s and 9’s, 5:6 on 6’s and 8’s.

Other bets

Now for the rest of the table, the Place Number bets and Proposition bets. Unfortunately the odds against you here vary from mediocre to terrible which is why savvy players ignore almost all of them. These bets are mostly designed for players who either have money burning a hole in their pocket or feel they have to bet on every little toss of the dice. The price of such impatience and risk-taking is higher house edges, sometimes dramatically higher.

A Place Number bet is where you are betting that a particular number will roll before a 7 does, or vice versa. These include the Place, Buy, Lay and Lose bets, the Big 6 and Big 8, and finally the Hard 4, Hard 6, Hard 8 and Hard 10.

The Proposition bets are where you bet that the next roll will be a specific number. These include the 2, 3, 7, 11, and 12 bets, the Any Craps bet, the Field, Hop and Horn bets.

By the time I was 19 I was able to cross off most of these "important"tasks except one. Craps. It can be intimidating for a new craps player with more than 40 possible bets arranged across the table. However, craps is the most exciting game in the casino and worth ...Read More

Five great Craps tips for beginners and seasoned players alike. Craps Tip One: Bankroll Never walk up to a Craps table without an idea of how much you're willing to gamble. You should also have an idea about how much you want to win. And no, "a lot" isn't a ...Read More

We all want to win when gambling. There are two popular strategies for playing Craps. The two strategies are Conservative Craps and Field Buster. These contrived names give you a sneak peek into what the strategy contains. Conservative Craps Just as the name implies, this strategy is very conservative. If ...Read More

Craps is the most exciting game in the casino. Can you name one other casino game that features a group of players shouting and clapping -- sometimes seemingly nonstop? When there's a good Craps game going on in the house, you'll know. The cheers from the players at the table ...Read More

Dice can be traced to prehistoric times when primordial fortunetellers threw sacred arrows, bone, sticks and stones on the ground to predict the future for his tribe. A cubical die dating back to 600 B.C. was found in Egypt. Dice went through a long evolution of shape, size, form and ...Read More

People that go to casinos to play cards and other games can be some of the most superstitious players in the world. The really serious players have their own routines, not that we’d single you out if you brought your lucky rabbit’s foot to table. If you’re a superstitious player, ...Read More

If you’ve seen a crowd around a table with lots of wild cheering, it’s likely the game is craps/ While there is a variety of games you can play in our online casino, craps is probably the one that overwhelms new players the most. There’s a dice roller, a bunch ...Read More

Craps comes from an older English game that dates back to the 11th century but it can be complicated to those looking to get in on the action. You can’t just pick up a pair of dice or sit down at your online casino and start playing craps; you have ...Read More

If you've got a limited bankroll and want to make the most of it while you're playing craps, one system that a lot of players find very amenable is dubbed "CPR." With the CPR system, you can keep your money alive for longer and even stand a chance to have ...Read More

Craps is a fun game to play but a tough game to learn. What you may not realize is there are a ton of rules, terms, and ways to play that can affect the way you get paid when you play the game. So just like every other casino game, ...Read More

Craps, we love craps. There's just something so "Vegas flashy" about the game. We think it's because once you get rolling in this game you feel like a Texas millionaire single-handedly taking out the casino's payroll. There's only one problem, the game is more complicated than it looks. TV and ...Read More

If you ever poll professional gamblers on the one casino game they'd love to be money at, it'd probably be Craps. Why? Well if you've ever seen anyone get hot at the game you'll easily know why: crowds form around them, ladies are looking to blow their dice (no pun ...Read More

We've said it before and we'll say it again: Craps is the Dos Equis of casino games. If you don't know what Dos Equis is it's a beer that's advertised by quite possibly the most interesting man in the world. He's popular, he's deep, and everyone wants to hang out ...Read More

Is there a cooler casino game out there than Craps? First of all, you get to roll dice to win cash. If you start winning people surround you and cheer. You can yell out cool stuff like “give me an eight!” or “poppa needs a new pair of shoes!” And ...Read More

One of the most unique casino games you’ll ever play is Craps. On the surface it seems simple: throw some dice, win some money, everyone cheers. But when you get down to the meat and potatoes of the game it’s like its own country with its own slang and lingo ...Read More

Visit Vegas a couple of times and you might see this guy: a Craps high roller. He might not have mountains of chips in front of him or a hot woman on each arm like in the movies, but he’s making enough money to make casino owners check the dice ...Read More

The beautiful thing about Craps is if the dice are rolling in your favor you can quickly become more popular than a boy band. Crowds start forming, people are hanging on your every roll and you’re able to attract more women than an Ikea catalog. How did this glorified game ...Read More

If you ever want to shine like you’re a rapper with his own clothing line, Craps is the game to play. If Hollywood has taught us anything – a couple of wins at Craps garners you mountains of chips, at least two lady-friends to blow on your dice (we mean ...Read More